The Price of Fame
by Infekcis
Summary: Neji spent one night with him, but how was he, someone with no interest in contemporary bands, supposed to know that he was a renowned musical genius - and now very interested in him as well? ShikaNeji – AU
1. Connection

**Disclaimer: **I do not own _Naruto_, nor any of its characters. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

**Connection**

Neji let his head fall against the wall as he heaved a deep sigh. Perhaps there really was no point in looking for someone to spend the night with on a Wednesday evening but it just had been so long since he'd had a good nice fucking. It wasn't exactly in his character to actually go out and look for someone but lately, there had just been no one that grabbed his attention.

Pale and slender fingers raked through waist-length chocolate tresses and he idly checked the ends to make sure they were still in good health. Ah, who was he kidding? His hair was perfect and the rest of him wasn't too bad either. His body was slightly toned and lithe – everyone assumed he spent hours exercising but he didn't have to do anything to keep it that way, skin a beautiful pale and soft to touch, a rounded face that was free of any blemishes and large, unusually pearlescent eyes. All in all, he looked like a living porcelain doll and other people were only too eager to please him as long as it meant that he would even just notice them. Was it presumptuous of him to use it to his own advantage? He assumed that in a way it was, but he still had his friends that put him with his feet on the ground should he become too cocky. Looking around him, he started wishing that his friends were here with him. At least it would be a lot more fun to sit here in this club.

"Oi, what's a pretty thing like you doing here all alone?" Neji rolled his eyes and looked up. A rather large man with dark hair pulled back in a ponytail smirked at him, his hands confidently settled on his sides.

"Nothing of your business. Get lost," Neji grumbled.

"You'd better watch that mouth of yours!" the man bit out, clearly not handling the rejection well.

Neji wanted to just get up and leave but damn him and his big mouth. "Or what? Are you going to-"

"Hey babe, you okay?" a voice interrupted. They both turned to see who was the new addition and found a man, about twenty years or so frowning, his dark eyes focused on Neji. Luckily, Neji picked up on it and walked over to him, an arm quickly settling around his waist and pulling him close to the other. He was just a tiny bit taller and had black hair that fell down to his shoulders. As he grazed his fingers over the arm that held him, he felt slight muscle underneath sun-kissed skin. _Perhaps tonight isn't going to be so bad after all… _The one that had bothered him cursed under his breath and walked away but the arm around Neji's waist stayed. Neji turned in the embrace so they were facing each other.

"Hi, I'm Neji."

"Shikamaru," the man now smirked. "Pleasure."

Neji let his eyes wander over his face, taking in every little detail. "Oh believe me, the pleasure is entirely mine…" he breathed. "So, are you going to let me go or do I have to start getting used to another person glued to my side?"

Shikamaru bent his head slightly so his mouth was directly next to Neji's ear. "That depends entirely on you." He took an earlobe into his mouth and nibbled on it, feeling Neji shudder at the sensation. His left-arm joined the other around a narrow waist and pulled him taut against his body. Neji lifted his hands and placed them on Shikamaru's cheeks, forcing him to let go before crashing their lips together. The response was just as enthusiastic and Neji moaned in Shikamaru's mouth. The man could kiss, appeared to have a great body – his wandering hands were quick to explore this aspect – and was apparently not averse to the idea of them hitting it off for the night.

Hands found their way under his loose silk shirt and kneaded every expanse of skin they touched and Neji couldn't help but flutter his eyelids. Few people found it necessary to pay attention to the other's back during sex but he always got reduced to a wobbling mess when receiving a back-rub for some bizarre reason. Deciding to make his intentions clear, he let his own hands slide in the back of Shikamaru's black jeans and harshly ground their hips together, eliciting a moan from the other.

"Your place or mine?" Shikamaru whispered. Neji had to focus for a bit, his mind so fogged that the words seemingly made no sense at first.

"I have flatmates. You?" Their hips met in another bruising kiss and they clumsily walked, both refusing to let go until Neji's back hit a wall gently and his body was covered by Shikamaru's.

"I stay in a hotel… and have to drop off a friend first… but meet me there in 30 minutes, okay?" Shikamaru attacked Neji's neck and he wanted to smirk at the sounds Neji made.

"What's the hotel and room number?" he finally gasped.

"Uchiha, suite 5." Neji wanted to laugh as he heard the hotel's name. Uchiha was his two best friends' surname and the pair were practically raised in that hotel (which was part of an entire hotel-chain and only a fraction of their family's source of income). He, Sasuke and Sasuke's older brother Itachi had spent hours in the penthouse when they were still children although now they all lived in another penthouse which was closer to their college. Even if the place was only meant for three people, more often than not there were two additions; Sasuke's girlfriend Sakura and Itachi's boyfriend Kisame. _It's so much fun to be the only one single… _He knew this part of his life wasn't going to change after tonight though. Tonight was only about getting sexual pleasure, no more, no less. Neji had always found it the safer method. No one was going to clip his wings anytime soon, even if that meant being forced to look at his best friends and their respective partners entangled on the couch acting all love-love.

He slipped one of his hands to the front of the pants and wrapped it around an already hard erection. Mentally, he was doing an overly-excited happy-dance. Even if Shikamaru didn't know how to work it, with such a cock Neji would be more than able to get himself off. Long but not too long and thick enough that it would give ample friction but not hurt like a bitch. For a night of which he feared would turn into an absolute disaster, he had certainly hit the jackpot. But all this thinking about Shikamaru's cock did pose a question. He jerked his head back and looked into hazel eyes that seemed to pierce through him with their confidence but he had certainly met his opponent in Neji who wasn't deterred in the slightest by the intense gaze.

"Top or bottom?"

"Top." Neji smirked at the answer and resumed kissing, his hands still in Shikamaru's pants. He was rewarded with a rumbling groan and Neji got the unwavering desire to hear more of those delicious sounds that seemed to go straight to his own erection.

"Just walk straight up, I'll be waiting in front of my room." Shikamaru said before he let go of Neji, softly pulling his hand out of his pants and walked off. Neji was left behind and smirked, pushing himself off against the wall and making his way to the exit.

[-]

Neji drove his black Mustang into the hotel's own parking-lot and got out. As he walked to the entrance, he was confused as he saw many reporters loitering around, most of them taking a break in the form of a cigarette or a steaming cup of take-away coffee. Probably all waiting for some big movie-star staying here. As they saw him pass by, some of them whistled and jeered at him but he just kept walking. There was someone much more handsome waiting for him already and even then, it wouldn't do to have sex with a reporter as the heir of Byakugan. Just imagine the terrible publicity.

He was glad for the wave of hot air that rushed over him as he entered the lobby and he already wanted to go to the elevators before a voice stopped him.

"Excuse me, sir, are you staying at the hotel?" the girl behind the lobby questioned. Neji knew that she must have been new at the job, otherwise she wouldn't have been so overly zealous. He stepped closer to her and gave her a mocking smile.

"Why, I'm not. You do realize this is a hotel and people walk in and out all the time?"

"Of course, but the manager demands that if you are not a guest at Uchiha Hotel, you come to the front-desk first." This Yamanaka Ino was really too annoying. Neji sighed.

"Fine. Let me speak to your manager." A voice interrupted them, calling out to Neji in a jovial tone.

"Ah, Neji-kun. It's been a while that we have seen you here!" Hatake Kakashi, the manager walked up to him and wrapped an arm around his shoulder.

Kakashi suspiciously peered from one to the other. "What's going on?"

"Yamanaka-san here demands I come to the front-desk first."

Kakashi awkwardly scratched his hair, a big seemingly-exploded puff of silver hair that did nothing to hide his attractiveness – the mask covering his lower face however, did. When they were younger, he and the Uchiha brothers had plotted many times against the man, trying to see what was under that damned piece of cloth but even with their prodigious minds combined, it still remained a mystery. "Ne Ino-kun, this is Hyūga Neji. Personal friend of the Uchiha-family." That alone was enough to make Ino gasp and then slap a hand over her mouth.

"Sumimasen, Hyūga-san!" Neji waved her apology away and continued walking.

"Oi, Neji-kun. Fugaku and Mikoto-san aren't at home," Kakashi yelled after him. Neji looked at him over his shoulder, a devious smile on his pale lips.

"Oh, I know." Kakashi's laughter echoed across the sparsely-decorated lobby. Once in the elevator, Neji looked at his cell-phone and cursed. He was already ten minutes late. Het hated being late…

"Suite five," he softly said to the bell-boy. Raking fingers through his long hair and briefly checking his overall appearance for any obvious flaws, he deemed himself good enough for the night and focused on what was to come.

"Here we are, sir," the boy announced and Neji stepped out. The doors slid closed behind him but before he could move, a now quite familiar voice reached him.

"I was already afraid you wouldn't come." Neji turned around and simply walked up to Shikamaru, pressing his lips on his. His hand was quickly grabbed and he was dragged through the hallway and into the suite.

* * *

Shikamaru couldn't believe his luck. He never had been one to go out and look for some purely physical satisfaction but after three years without any partner – one-time or long-lasting – even he had to admit that a hand could only do so much. And then to find someone so beautiful on his first try, who clearly didn't realize who he was; the bass-player of and brain behind Kagemane, a band of high international fame. It felt so good to see someone that wasn't interested in his money or status but was simply attracted to him for his looks. As shallow as that may be, it was the same for him and for both the objective of the evening.

A hand undid his belt and was quick to open up the fly of his pants. Shikamaru groaned as it kneaded his steadily growing erection. It was still a hand but the knowledge that it belonged to another person changed the entire picture. He was dragged to the bedroom, the hand never leaving its place.

Neji crashed their lips together, their tongues quickly finding each other and Shikamaru let his hand rake through that long hair and was surprised as the feeling of silk slid over his hands. Was it even possible to have such beautiful and soft hair? His mind stopped though, as his erection was harshly jerked off and as shameful as it may be, already felt the first indicators of pending orgasm. Perhaps it had been too long. His body had luckily remembered all the necessary motions and he slipped his hands into the back of Neji's pants, letting them touch a firm ass, perky almost and he tried to suppress the urge to grin. He really did get lucky tonight.

Neji pulled Shikamaru's shirt up and bit his lip as more and more of that tan and absolutely delicious chest was revealed. The moment the shirt was discarded on the floor, he let his tongue slide across his neck, biting slightly and let out a surprised sound as he was pulled as close as physically possible. Apparently, someone was only too eager to begin. Well, that made two. Shikamaru deftly undid his shirt and he slid his hands out of his pants to let it join the other on the floor. Not wanting to bother with foreplay, he retrieved the tube of lube from his pants and shoved it in Shikamaru's hands before dropping his pants and briefs to the floor and stepping out of them, crawling on top of the bed. Looking back, he saw Shikamaru staring at him open-mouthed and made a beckoning motion with his finger. His eyes took in every detail as Shikamaru stripped further and he quirked his eyebrow as he saw the even tan on every part of his body. Spreading his legs for Shikamaru to sit between, he smirked as he saw him opening the tube of lube and lathering four of his fingers with the substance. A first finger quickly found its way into his body and he made clear that he was more than able to handle the intrusion. Now, it was Shikamaru's turn to smirk and he added a second, and then a third.

"Enough," Neji groaned, eager to be filled with something more than just fingers. He sat up and grabbed the lubricant, pouring it over Shikamaru's erection and giving it a few jerks, deeming it prepared enough. He got down on his knees and felt slick fingers ghosting over his ass before a cock started spreading him open. He had been right to think it was a perfect cock. He wasn't crying out in pain because it was too big but there was still that strain that he loved so much when having sex. Shikamaru let him determine how fast he wanted to go and he slowly took in more and more, not wanting to rip himself in his enthusiasm. He let out a deep breath as he was in to the hilt, leaning on his elbows to set himself ready.

Shikamaru breathed heavily as he saw Neji curving his back, letting his cock sink deeper into that gripping heat. He settled his hands on slender hips and thrust in a slow pace but made sure to sink in as deep as he could. Neji raised his head, his mouth falling open in silent ecstasy. This was beyond good, this was amazing. Shikamaru had remembered where his prostate was and hit it with nearly every inward movement. He formed tight fist in the blankets and slammed his lower body backwards, a cocky smirk on his face as he heard Shikamaru's gasp. He never had been one to just lie on the bed and take it; the perfect uke. It didn't mean that if you were on the receiving end that you weren't in charge – if not, Neji would never feel satisfied bottoming. He was a control-freak after all. But it did feel nice that Shikamaru knew what he was doing. Oh hell with it, it wasn't nice, it was nearly mind-blowing. He sat up, straight in Shikamaru's lap and wrapped an arm around his neck, his head falling on his shoulder. The new position slowed their pace down considerably but neither cared, Neji content with lifting himself slowly so he could feel every ridge of Shikamaru's erection and Shikamaru with letting his hands glide over skin so soft it could have belonged to a woman. Even if he was 100% gay, he certainly didn't mind that Neji had a quite effeminate appearance since it just made him more beautiful and unique. He liked people that stood out slightly.

Shikamaru placed gentle kisses on a pale neck and wrapped his arms around Neji's chest, biting the skin between his teeth slightly as he slammed Neji down while lifting his hips. Neji almost screamed but could just prevent it by tightly clenching his jaws, although some noise still seeped through.

"Hurting?" Shikamaru breathed. Neji hung his head, shaking it vehemently. "Good." Shikamaru grinned before repeating the same move once, twice, thrice… He knew from experience that this could give an amazing orgasm for the uke, just with a slightly different way of reaching it. He thrust in, waited and did it again. Orgasm was so close and then kept at bay but he certainly didn't hear Neji complain. And he would get him screaming before this night was over, he silently promised.

He had lost control, someone had actually taken the one thing he had relied on since the moment he could form coherent thoughts away from him and he was torn between wanting to escape from Shikamaru's grasp or just take it all in. He was pulled down again and clenched his eyes shut, tears nearly slipping out. It did hurt a little but his prostate had never been stimulated as it was now. A fresh approach he wouldn't have come up with, he had to begrudgingly admit. His orgasm was building with every thrust, waning in between breaks but then the feelings returned twice as hard when Shikamaru snapped his hips up. He whined, his orgasm so close yet so far away.

"Focus, just focus," Shikamaru said. Neji rolled his head so he could look at him and got a small smile before he was slammed down again and his eyes grew impossible wide as his orgasm suddenly hit him, his body twisting and convulsing and he let out a high-pitched moan that was quite embarrassing but at the moment, he honestly couldn't care. He had never had an orgasm like this, completely catching him off-guard and… shocking him really.

Shikamaru kept staring at Neji's eyes as his orgasm hit him and quickly thrust a few more times to reach his own, wanting to be pulled in by Neji's twitching ass. He sank his teeth in Neji's shoulder as he finally fell over the edge and heard Neji taking in a shuddering breath.

They tumbled to the bed on their sides, Shikamaru still with his waning erection inside Neji.

"You're… good," Neji said. Shikamaru grinned. It had been easy to figure out that such encounters weren't unknown to Neji, judging by his confidence and eagerness and he guessed it was quite the compliment from someone as experienced as him. He pulled out and Neji sat up, wincing slightly before grabbing his shirt and pulling it on. Shikamaru sat back and lit a cigarette, disappointment clear that Neji was leaving so soon. But he wasn't called a genius for nothing.

"You tired already? he jabbed. "Troublesome." He wanted to pat himself on the shoulder as he saw Neji jerking his head towards him, eyes narrowing. It was so obvious he was a very proud creature and that he would go to great lengths to keep his pride intact.

Neji knew what he was doing, he knew. He wanted another round without sounding desperate or too dependant and so he hit him in his weak spot. Neji had to give him credit for figuring that out so soon since most people took months, years even to find his weakness. He let his eyes wander over Shikamaru's naked body, taking in that evenly tanned skin and that slightly muscled chest and then looked up. Shikamaru really was quite handsome with his sharp features and thick chin-length hair. Well, since this was a one-time thing, he concluded that another round couldn't hurt. It wasn't really customary for him; usually, he left as soon as they had both got off. But Shikamaru was good… He pulled his shirt off again and crawled over until he was leaning over Shikamaru, who was grinning, taking a long drag from his cigarette.

"You're quite the perceptive one, aren't you? Don't think I don't know what you're doing. But I'll forgive you." Neji smirked as he said the last part.

Shikamaru, however lifted an eyebrow. "You'll forgive me?"

Neji shrugged his shoulders. "You have a fantastic cock and you're attractive," he said bluntly.

"Thanks," Shikamaru grinned. It was amusing that Neji was so straight-forward since most people would beat around the bush and bore him with their attempts to be subtle. 99 percent of the time he already knew where they were going but it was too troublesome to get them to be completely honest.

"I'll smack you if you turn all arrogant now," Neji threatened lightly.

"Meh, I'm too lazy to be arrogant."

Neji jerked his hips and Shikamaru fluttered his eyelids a bit as his cock started growing. "Too lazy to go for another round? I should hope not…"

* * *

Neji fell on the mattress, his chest heaving and fearing that he wouldn't be able to walk for a week. Shikamaru had fucked him so good, for the _fourth_ time in a row, something no one had ever been able to convince him for. Did he regret not leaving after the first time? Hell no! Did he regret not finding the strength to get up and go home? Definitely. He knew that if he tried to go home now, he would either crash to the ground somewhere on the way or cause a traffic accident and he loved his car too much to see it be reduced to bits and pieces. Now it was just a matter of making Shikamaru clear that he wasn't fit to move.

"Sleep," Shikamaru mumbled and dragging the blankets over them. Neji's eyes grew in confusion and then glared menacingly. How dare he peer inside his mental processes!? Those were private, damnit! Still glaring, he crawled deeper under the covers and was muttering obscenities at that conceited asshole who thought he had him figured out so easily.

"Yeah, yeah. Love you too," Shikamaru said and Neji could hear the laughter in his voice. An arm was wrapped around his chest and he was pulled over to lay against that asshole.

"Let me go!"

The arm stayed, tightened even. "Either you go to sleep or I'll knock you out so you'll shut up."

Neji spluttered, wondering if he should pay any attention to the threat but finally laid his head down.

Shikamaru heard his breathing evening out and let his own eyes close. The last thing his conscious registered was a body cuddling against his chest and he grinned slightly before surrendering to sleep himself.

* * *

Instinctually, he curved his back as he felt something grazing his prostate but then his eyes flew open, coming face-to-face with Shikamaru who was leaning over him and fucking him at a languid pace.

"What the hell do you think-" but he forgot any protest as his prostate was stimulated harder. His body was still tired but quickly responded to the sensations coursing through him. Suddenly, Shikamaru pulled his cock out and when it didn't come back, he lifted his head to glare at him.

"Get on your knees." Part of him wanted to shout obscenities at the man again but he still did as told. Shikamaru's erection entered him again, so very slowly and he breathed in shakily. He was still really sore from last night but it was kind of hard to tell Shikamaru to stop when he was fucking him so deliciously good. Biting the blankets, he leaned backwards to coerce Shikamaru into increasing the pace and his mouth fell open as he was slammed into. His whole body shook at the frenzied motions but he enjoyed every single second of it and screamed for more. Shikamaru grabbed his shoulders so he could slide in deeper but Neji knocked them off and forced Shikamaru's back on the bed, moving along and not letting him slip out. Elegantly lifting his legs, he turned so they were facing and saw Shikamaru's surprise at his flexibility. Not bothering to comment on it, he steadied himself and fucked Shikamaru's cock, quickly finding his own prostate and moaning softly. Hands kneaded the taut muscles on his back and he shuddered although not slowing down the flexing of his hips. Judging by Shikamaru's own sounds of pleasure, he knew he was close to coming and he found a last burst of speed. Dual shouts filled the room as they were simultaneously pulled into an orgasm and Neji tried to focus on the other's face. He really was quite handsome.

He climbed off of the bed with shaking legs and grabbed his clothes. "Bathroom?"

"There," Shikamaru drawled out, pointing to a nearby door. He nodded, determined to enjoy the shower he had more than deserved.

* * *

He walked out of the bathroom, feeling much fresher and no longer smelling of sex and sweat. Shikamaru looked up from his laptop with narrowed eyes to shield them from the smoke of the burning cigarette in his mouth.

"You ready?" Neji nodded and grabbed his cell phone on the nightstand, shoving it in his pocket and fiddled a bit with his hair, unsure of what to do. He honestly wouldn't object to meeting up with Shikamaru again but then he would have to ask his number and act too much like a teenager in his puberty and it would seriously damage his pride.

"If you want to meet up some other time, you can call me at this number." _Damnit, he did it again! _Neji stared at him suspiciously as he held out a slip of paper, finding it peculiar how Shikamaru often seemed to figure him out but accepted it, glad that he won his own mental battle and came out unscathed. He simply nodded and walked to the door but his arm was grabbed and he got one last kiss which made flashes of the past night flit behind his eyelids.

"I had fun."

Neji smirked. "Me too. Bye." He opened the door and went to the elevator, ignoring the pain in his backside every time he took a step.

[-]

"Neji!" Someone, he suspected Itachi, jumped on his still sleeping body and he let out a groan at the pain that sprung up. Even after two days, his ass was still a bit sore from his little sexcapade with Shikamaru but all it did was bring up memories of that night and how fucking good it had felt.

"What?" he muttered. He blearily opened his eyes to find indeed, Itachi sitting on him and grinning that supposedly malicious smirk that made even his teachers at university cower in fear but Neji had long-since become immune to.

"You little slut. So that's who you were doing Wednesday night!" Neji's confusion only grew until Itachi held up Look, a ratty gossip-magazine. His eyes grew as wide as saucers as he saw a picture of himself feeling up Shikamaru in the club and then one of him leaving Shikamaru's hotel in the morning.

"What!? Why am I on the fucking front-page? Why am I even in there?" A pale finger tapped the picture, right on Shikamaru's head.

"Ah, my sweet innocent Neji. _That_ is Nara Shikamaru, bassist of Kagemane, one of the most popular bands in the world and also called one of the best producers the music-business has ever seen. You do pick them out, Neji-chan." Neji listened to it with a mixed feeling of shame and anger.

"B-but why is it splashed on the front-page? He's probably had hundreds of groupies!"

Itachi snickered, actually _snickered_. "Because you turned him gay. Read it." He helpfully opened up the magazine where the same pictures as on the front-page were printed on the whole page, only a tiny bit of text in the right-corner.

**WOMEN TOO TROUBLESOME?**

_Nara__ Shikamaru (20), widely acknowledged as one of the greatest musical geniuses in the world, apparently opened up his chances for the future. Wednesday night he was spotted in a local gay-club, kissing a man and in the morning, that same man was seen leaving Shikamaru's hotel. The man, H.N. (21), is the heir to one of the biggest companies in Fire Country, a resident of Konoha and a student at Shō-dai. _

_While the other band members of Kagemane are often seen together with different love-interest, this is the first time we have been able to capture one of Shikamaru's, a man no less! We couldn't get a comment from Shikamaru but did gather some reactions from fans._

_Nana (19): "I think it's great. As long as Shika-san is happy!"_

_Kaori (16): "It's so disgusting. I honestly hadn't expected it from him."_

_As you can see, very mixed reactions but be sure to keep your eyes open, people there in Konoha. Who knows Shikamaru decides to come back for his H.N.? We'll be sure to keep you updated!_

"You have to be kidding me… I'm going to kill that bastard!" Neji violently pushed off Itachi, who just rolled to the side.

"Shika-chan sure has big hands," he commented idly. Neji stared confused before diverting his eyes to his hips where you could still see the slightly rosy handprints of Shikamaru half-hidden by his pyjama pants. He fought down the blush creeping up on his cheeks and grabbed his cell phone, slamming the door of his bathroom shut and twisting the key. Angrily, he scrolled down his phonebook until he found what he looked for and clicked the most recent addition. As he waited for someone to pick up, he tapped his foot on the ground frustrated. Even someone with thick glasses would be able to recognize him from those pictures and his uncle certainly would. That man always knew what was going on and Neji doubted that he would approve of this 'promiscuous behaviour'.

"Yeah?" Neji was pulled out of his musings by Shikamaru's supposed greeting.

"You asshole! You couldn't have told me that I would end up on the front-page of some stupid gossip magazine?" There was a moment of silence on the other end before he heard a deep sigh.

"Ah, gomen. I really thought no one was following me."

"Well, they did! You couldn't have just told me beforehand that you were some big celebrity?"

"This'll blow over, okay. Just don't get too aggravated. If they don't see us together again, they'll eventually give up." Half of him rejoiced that at least that would end in due time but the other part was more reluctant to get it over with so soon. Normally, he never considered calling someone back but with Shikamaru he had. One doesn't easily forget the greatest fuck of his life.

He only managed to let out a soft "Oh" but Shikamaru easily caught on.

"I wish there was another way. God knows I hate being harassed by those paparazzi myself and I never had the intention of involving you in any of this. But the only way for us to meet again is if you don't mind showing up in gossip-magazines." It was all said in a lazy drawl but somehow, Shikamaru could still make it sound caring. Neji heard him light a cigarette and inhale deeply. "Look, you decide what you want to do and call me if you want to, 'kay?"

Neji nodded before he realized he was on the phone and Shikamaru couldn't see him. He slapped his forehead. This whole thing made his intelligence drop with every passing minute.

"Okay. Bye."

"Bye." Neji snapped his phone shut and sank down on the cold bathroom-floor. For the first time in his life, he feared he might actually feel something for someone else.

* * *

Shikamaru stretched out comfortably in his chair and looked around the music-studio. He had just been busy with mastering Kagemane's latest album but his phone call with Neji made him awfully distracted. It honestly had never been his intention to involve him in his fame and he could certainly understand his anger. But he still hoped that he would receive a call despite everything. Neji had succeeded in capturing his attention and that was a very rare thing in Shikamaru's life.

"Oi, Shika! You never told me you were gay!" Naruto, the singer of Kagemane burst through the door, waving a magazine in his hand. Shikamaru rubbed his eyes and sighed.

"Troublesome. Give me that." The magazine was handed over and he cursed as he saw the front-page. He would have known about this sooner if he hadn't been living in the studio for the past two days.

"Shika! Come on, tell me what happened," Naruto whined as he plopped down in the nearby couch. Shikamaru didn't answer as he leafed through the magazine, looking for the article.

"Page twenty. He is rather pretty, isn't he? 'H.N.' Kind of looks like a woman. Are you just bi, maybe?"

"I'm gay and I can assure you that he isn't anything like a woman." Naruto's ears perked as he heard this; it was very unusual of Shikamaru to disclose any personal information. Even after being in the same band for four years, Naruto still barely knew anything of him. He decided to tread carefully, hoping for any more details. While he himself wasn't gay, he could certainly appreciate an aesthetically beautiful man.

"So… was he any good in bed?" Shikamaru lowered the magazine and looked at him with a raised eye-brow. Naruto cursed under his breath. Not carefully enough, apparently. Shikamaru was always way ahead of him. Heck, in a past life he was probably a war-strategist if you saw how he planned everything out way ahead of everyone else. Naruto realized that if it wasn't for Shikamaru's strategic planning – his musical genius had been helpful as well though – Kagemane would never have been as successful as they were now.

"I promise I won't tell anyone!"

Shikamaru shook his head. "It's no one's business. Besides, it was a one-time thing." Naruto groaned, annoyed at Shikamaru's typical distant behaviour. He loved the dude as a friend and Shikamaru was always there for him, whether it be for something personal or professional. But he could be so bloody annoying!

"What about Kagemane's image?" Naruto said it in a serious tone since there was a real chance that this whole affair could damage it.

"We might lose some fans but we'll probably gain some too. You shouldn't worry about it."

Naruto looked closely at him and for the first time saw how exhausted he looked. He had near-black rings under his eyes from lack of sleep and he looked unusually pale. For someone that was fond of his privacy, his international fame must take its toll and added with keeping Kagemane a successful band and being responsible for many other artists' albums, it was easily explained why he looked as he did. Naruto stood up and stretched out his hand for Shikamaru to take.

"I'll buy you lunch. You need to get out of this studio, Shika." Shikamaru stared at the magazine in his lap, briefly brought back to Wednesday night before putting it away.

"Sure. Not too long though. The record company wants the master-version in two days."

Naruto comically copied a nagging house-wife before sticking out his tongue. "All work and no play makes Shika a dull boy! Oh, there are some paparazzi outside but just ignore them."

Shikamaru gave him a sceptical glance. He wasn't new to the concept of paparazzi, not after them being a constant factor in his life for the past four years. He shrugged on a green waistcoat over his black shirt and lit a cigarette, following Naruto out the door.

"We'll take my car." Shikamaru nodded and they unlocked the outside-door. Naruto certainly had been using a euphemism when he said 'some paparazzi'. The studio's parking-lot was filled with them and they already started seeing black spots because of the many flashes. Shikamaru did listen to the many questions yelled but he responded to none. He knew that doing so would only make it worse for both himself and Neji.

"How long have you been seeing him?"

"Are you gay or bisexual?"

"Was he a prostitute?" As he heard that, Shikamaru had to force himself to stay calm although he was usually a very composed person by nature. Onlookers could only see him take a drag from his cigarette and worming his way over to Naruto's car. He got into the passenger's seat and just muttered out a command.

"Drive." He brought out his cell-phone and checked his received calls. A few clicks and the number at the top of the screen was added to his phonebook.

[-]

Neji walked over to the kitchen after taking a steaming hot shower, hoping to relax a bit and actually succeeding. Shikamaru's words had made sense. He would just have to stick it out for a few days. He pulled at his black jacket which reached down to his knees and held a grey scarf in his hand. The weather had cooled down considerably these past few days. In his mind, he ran through all the things he would need to get done for school and it was also his turn to get groceries. Luckily, he only had two classes today. He stepped into the kitchen and lifted his head. Four pairs of eyes stared back at him, all miserably failing at keeping their curiosity hidden. In normal circumstances, Neji would just walk out of the loft but this time, he reasoned that his friends were the lesser of two evils. Seemingly unperturbed, he sat down and filled a plate. He pretended not to notice Itachi whispering something in Kisame's ear, evoking a rumbling laughter from the large man. Beady eyes turned to him and Itachi gave his boyfriend a small push. Next thing he knew, Kisame is holding his upper body, crushing his arms in the embrace.

"Let me go, you prick! Goddammit, Itachi, tell your pet to release me." He flailed his legs around but Itachi grabbed them in a quick motion, locking them with his left arm. The other was used to lift Neji's loose black woollen sweater.

"See Kisa, I always suspected Neji was a sucker for rough and kinky man-sex." The entire thing was said in a cold and unemotional tone but Neji glared daggers at him, knowing well enough that mentally, he was probably laughing his ass off. Kisame peered over his shoulder at the hand-imprints and let out another laugh.

"Kinky vixen, you are." The next moment, Neji was released and unceremoniously dropped on his ass on the hardwood floor. A sharp cry of pain escaped him but it only made everyone present snicker but finally, Sakura made her way over and helped him up although she was laughing all the while.

"You okay?" Neji pulled his hand back and sat down again, trying to do some relaxation techniques. Now his flatmates decided to let him eat in peace and Sakura told a story about a patient of hers at the hospital that would literally climb onto his closet every time he needed to get an injection. She told it so humorously that even Neji had to smile.

"Come on, children. Time to go," Itachi announced. They all helped to clear the table and gathered the things they would need for today. Neji wrapped his scarf around his neck and hid half his face behind it. He really didn't handle the cold well.

"Neji, don't forget to do the groceries," Sasuke reminded him. Neji shook his head and waved goodbye. The moment he was out the door, excited murmurs sounded in the loft.

"I can still hear you in the hallway, you bastards!" The noise quieted down and Neji let out a frustrated groan. Even his friends wouldn't let him live this down. He took the elevator to the ground floor and was relieved to have a momentary moment of peace. From this moment on, he knew it would only get horribly worse. _Oh joy, I'm right._ He stepped out of the elevator to find flashing lights from behind the glass entrance. Suppressing the urge to lash out, he took in a deep breath and just walked forward, straight outside. He had to use his elbows to get through the gathered mass of people and kept his head down as he stepped into his car, throwing his bag on the seat next to him. He revved the engine in warning to the photographers in front of the car and carefully slid out of his parking-spot but then stepped on the gas-pedal and sped of.

"Well, he's certainly an ice-queen," one of the reporters commented as he stared at the disappearing car.

"But a pretty one. Hell, with that hair and shit, you could just pretend he's a woman. And he apparently has no qualms about shoving his hand down your pants," another smirked, making everyone within hearing-distance chuckle.

[-]

With his eyes focused on the textbook in front of him, Neji tried to ignore the gasps and murmurs all around him although it was kind of hard when he heard his name being mentioned every minute or so. He did look up when something blocked the light and came face to face with an annoyingly smiling guy, surrounded by his friends that were all whispering him encouragements.

"So… you want to go out some day, since you're clearly into men?" Neji rolled his eyes as he noticed how childish the boy looked with his acne and sinewy body.

"Not in the least bit interested. Get lost." He kept on reading but he got a shove against his shoulder.

"What? You only interested in guys that are loaded, fucking gold-digger!"

Neji rubbed his temple, wishing that this was all just a bad dream. "Just go away. Go find someone else to take out on a date because even if you were rich, I still wouldn't go out with you." Finally, they drooped off although he got many angry glances.

The professor walked in and for the first time this year, Neji was actually glad to see him. That quickly changed when he saw the intense gaze directed at him. Orochimaru-sensei always looked quite perverse and had already expressed an interest in Neji – in Sasuke and Itachi as well - but never quite so aggressive with just a look. He fought down the urge to twitch in his seat and prayed to the gods that he would just start his lesson. Orochimaru-sensei began writing on the board and Neji let out his breath. This whole insane situation made him remember why he had never wanted to come out of the closet. It could jeopardize him becoming the heir to his family's company and that really wasn't worth it. He had worked so hard all these years to get where he was and now, it could be taken from him in a heartbeat. As he peered around him and saw everyone's attention focused on him, he wanted to cry for the first time in five years.

[-]

Sasuke saw his childhood friend coming through the door, looking unusually out of it but he guessed that with everything that was going on, it wasn't really quite so unusual. He heard him dropping the shopping-bag in the kitchen and walking into the living-room again.

"Hey, Neji, a-" Neji held up his left-hand and the other formed a tight fist.

"Don't Sasuke. I've heard enough jokes and comments for today. Just leave me alone." He turned on his heels and walked to his bedroom, slamming the door shut behind him. However, Sasuke knew him well enough to know what he needed and when he needed it. He made his way over and simply walked into Neji's room.

"Leave me alone!" Sasuke saw him rolled up on the bed, his head buried in a pillow. He sat down next to him and yanked the pillow out of his grasp.

"What happened?"

Neji sat up and looked him straight in the eye. "What do you think, Einstein? Everywhere I went, I had those bloodhounds following and everyone making comments, saying that I'm a slut, fucking my way to the top. All of my hard work just went down the drain and my uncle can call me any minute and I don't even want to imagine how he will react. Everyone knows who I am and what company they were talking about in that stupid magazine. Every nightmare happened in one day!"

Sasuke shook his head and flopped down on the bed, readying himself for his big speech. He loved to

play the voice of reason for someone as Neji. "If those bloodhounds no longer see you and Shikamaru together, they will give up. I've known you all of my life and have met virtually every person you ever slept with. I've never considered you to be a slut and I know you don't need to fuck your way up for the money. You're loaded, Neji. And while it isn't the best publicity stunt for Byakugan, it isn't the worst either. It can even get you more clients because that Nara is a very respected musician. Lastly, if even my father can accept that Itachi is flaming gay, then your uncle will as well. He isn't so old-fashioned and just look how he acts towards Itachi. He still considers him as one of his proverbial sons and I've personally heard him say how he liked Kisame. You're in for a rough patch now in some aspects but it's temporary." Neji groaned and hid his face in Sasuke's shoulder.

"You weren't supposed to make sense, Sasuke." He got a soft pat on the head.

"I know. So, was he really worth all the hassle?" Sasuke asked idly.

"…Yes, and that's the worst thing about all this. I normally forget them the moment I step out of the bedroom but I couldn't stop thinking about him Thursday. And… even with everything that went on today, I still would like to meet him again. Fuck!"

"Don't tell this to Sakura or she'll start squealing about love," Sasuke muttered with a deep frown etched on his features.

Neji lifted his head so he could look him in the eye. "Aren't you supposed to love your girlfriend of five years?"

"Doesn't mean I have to say it." He rolled his back to Neji, wanting to pout in peace but Neji crawled over him, forcing his hands from his face.

"Aha! I kn-"

"Hyūga Neji! What the hell do you think you're doing?" Both boys immediately stopped what they were doing, looking at each other horrified before slowly turning to the door where a fuming Sakura was shaking her fists. Suddenly, Neji realized in what a compromising position they lay and hurried out of Sasuke's lap, holding his hands up in defence.

"Sakura, you know I wouldn't touch Sasuke," he squeaked out. For being the only woman in the household, all the boys could form an alliance to plot against her and they would still terribly lose. She could be damn scary for being such a slender and sweet-looking girl. Sasuke started grinning and Neji threw him one of his patented death-glares but alas, as it went with all his house-mates, he had become resistant. Sakura now laughed as well as she went to Sasuke and gave him a kiss.

"Don't even think about doing anything on my bed."

Sakura looked up, her green eyes mischievous. "Who says we haven't already?" Neji's jaw started trembling, his eyes wide.

Sasuke now stood up and led Sakura out of the room by her hand. "Remember what I said, Neji. Itachi is practically a drag-queen and he is still taking over the hotel-chain."

"If you wish to kill me, hate me-" Sasuke turned around to meet his brother's eyes.

"For fuck's sake, Itachi! You seriously need to stop copying sayings from that anime! It's getting really old."

Itachi pouted, before chasing Sasuke. "Detest me, and live a detestable life-" The two brothers stormed around the apartment and Neji shook his head.

Sasuke pointed an arm at his brother. "That's not how it goes! It's 'survive in an unsightly way'!"

"Foolish otouto," Itachi smirked before racing over to Sasuke.

"They'll always remain like when they were younger, won't they?" Sakura commented with a laugh.

Neji stood beside her, a smile now on his lips as his eyes followed the hilarious chase. "Always."

She turned her eyes towards him. "You okay?"

Neji nodded. "Yeah."

Kisame appeared through the front door and immediately ran to Itachi, tackling him so they both fell down on the couch. Itachi wanted to frown before he saw who it was and a devious grin formed on his lips. The others knew how this was going to turn out and yelled simultaneously, "Go to your room!"

[-]

Neji was sitting in the couch with Itachi, who was reviewing his paper, searching for any mistakes. It did help to live in a house with two prodigies, even though he had quite the brilliant mind himself.

"You need to rephrase that last argument. It's too ambiguous. That's about it."

"Thanks." Neji added some notes with a pencil and heard his ring tone. He ran to his room but almost dropped his cell phone as he saw the name of who was calling. Swallowing the suddenly appeared lump in his throat, he picked up.

"Good evening, Hiashi-sama." The moment his uncle's name fell, everyone raced to his room and sat down on his bed; he futilely scowled at them, knowing they wouldn't go away.

Hiashi chuckled as he heard the ruckus on the other end. "Could you put it on speaker for a moment, Neji-kun?"

Neji held out the phone and they all shouted, "Hello, Hiashi-sama!"

"Hello. I hope all of you are doing excellent as usual?"

"HAI!"

Neji turned the speaker off and placed the phone near his ear. "I assume you want to talk about my little…mishap?" The nervousness in his voice was clear but when it came to his uncle – and Sakura, he could painfully easily be reduced to a cowering mess.

"You can calm down, Neji-kun. I am not mad at you. On the contrary even, since Nara Shikamaru is quite a talented musician, wouldn't you agree?" Neji's mouth fell open as he found out his uncle knew that wretched band of Shikamaru and actually liked their music.

"A very pleasing sound, yes," Hiashi mused. "While it is of course not very good for the image of our company to find you in such promiscuous positions, I wanted to let you know that I would support it if you decided to pursue a relationship with Nara-kun." Sasuke saw Neji shaking on his legs and quickly dumped him in his desk-chair before he toppled over.

"But you're really not mad? I mean, I never mentioned my… sexual preferences."

Hiashi laughed and now Neji actually cowered, wanting to hide under his bed and keep his phone as far away from him as possible.

"We're not living in the Dark Ages anymore, Neji-kun. It is the twenty-first century."

"O-okay. I have to go, Hiashi-sama. Give my regards to the family."

"Of course. I'll see you and the others at the dinner this Sunday?"

"Hai." Neji snapped his phone shut and slumped down in his chair, his face ashen and eyes staring into oblivion. The others glanced at each other, silently debating on what to do before all creeping closer.

"Do you think he's in shock?" Itachi snatched the phone out of Neji's hands and pressed some buttons, his face lighting up.

"Who wants to talk to Shikamaru?"

Sakura pounced her boyfriend, screaming right in his ear. "I do, I do!"

"Sakura, we've talked about this. No yelling straight in my ear."

Itachi walked away with the phone near his ear. Neji got his wits together and knew what time it was when he saw Itachi giving him a victorious smirk. He wanted to run over to him but he was hoisted in the air, a strong arm wrapped around his waist. "Damnit, Kisame. Not again!"

"Ah yes, is this Nara Shikamaru? Nice to meet you. My name is Uchiha Itachi, I'm one of Neji's flatmates. Well, we were all wondering if you were available this Sunday to join us for dinner?"

"ITACHI! GIVE ME THAT FUCKING PHONE!" Itachi clacked his tongue.

"Honestly, Neji-chan. Haven't I thought you any manners?" He luckily did hand over the phone and Neji soon regained his footing.

"Wait a sec," he said and marched to his bathroom, locking the door behind him. _Well, this seems oddly familiar… _"Sorry for that."

Shikamaru chuckled as he heard Neji's laboured breathing. He must have really fought for his phone.

"Meh, it's okay. I assume the invitation was just a joke?"

Neji hesitantly gnawed on his bottom lip. "Well, it's with the entire Uchiha and Hyūga families. I doubt it would be a pleasant experience for you." He cringed as he thought of how it must have sounded; no, you can't come. "But… when are you back in Konoha?"

Shikamaru's face lit up at the other end. He had feared from the moment he picked up his phone that it would all be one bad joke but hearing Neji ask him this could only mean one thing.

"I'm back in Konoha in three days. You want to meet up?" The last was perhaps pronounced a bit too hopeful and he smacked his forehead. He really sucked at social skills.

"Yes! I mean… that would be nice." Apparently, Neji sucked in it as well.

"You do realize that the paparazzi will be following us?"

Neji clenched the phone between his head and his neck and tapped his index fingers together. "Yeah, but I just got a call from my uncle that he has no problem with it that I'll appear in the newspapers."

"Ah, that's right. Your family owns that big company. Troublesome."

Neji snickered as he heard the last word. It sounded so strange coming from someone who was only twenty years old.

"And will you be okay with it? It's bye-bye to privacy for a while."

"As long as I don't get photographed anymore with my hands down your pants I think I'll manage."

Shikamaru snorted a laugh. "It won't help if I say that the other band-members have that picture framed?"

"No, not in the slightest as a matter of fact. Bastard," he muttered under his breath but Shikamaru didn't sound the least bit offended.

"So, where do you want to meet up and when?"

"You can… come to my place if you want. You will have to face those four raging lunatics that call themselves my roommates."

"Hey!" four voices yelled from behind the closed door.

"Okay. At around seven?"

Neji quickly told him the address and after a simple 'goodbye', hung up. Then it hit him. He hated even one day of those paparazzi crowding around him and now Shikamaru was coming here and they already knew his address. He was royally fucked and definitely not in the good sense. And calling back to tell Shikamaru their 'date' was off, would be too cowardly, his pride once more standing in the way of an easy-going life. Why did he insist on always continuing with these expeditions that were… troublesome really. He got up from the floor and opened the door, four people tumbling in. "Morons. He's coming here on Monday and I'll kick your asses if you do anything to embarrass me!"

The others all rolled their eyes and Neji could just feel how they were already plotting against him.


	2. Reconnection

**Reconnection**

Shikamaru let his hand holding a burning cigarette hanging out of his window and frowned as he saw the many reporters chasing him. He trusted that Neji really knew what he was getting himself into because after tonight, there would be no turning back and he would experience the joys of being chased by those mosquitoes every single day. It was to be expected that every single paparazzo in Konoha would be following him since it was the first time he returned here after his highly discussed appearance in that gossip-magazine. They would eat their heart out as they would find him entering Neji's apartment building. He took a drag from his cigarette and turned the corner. Only two streets away from Neji's apartment now. By the time he had parked nearby, reporters were already swarming his car but he just grabbed his wallet and shoved it in the back pocket of his loose black jeans and closed his car.

"He's at his apartment building!" he heard many photographers scream into their phone, their cameras clicking away. Shikamaru shook his head at the stupidity of it all. He crossed the street and entered the building. The moment the elevator doors slid closed, he leaned against the wall and was glad for the momentary peace. His brain mulled over the last conversation he'd had with Neji, now three days ago and then it hit him. How was he supposed to act; as the boyfriend or a friend? He sighed and decided to let Neji take the lead and he would just go with it. He reached the top floor and walked out of the elevator, knocking on the only door there was. He heard many shouts coming from behind the door and smirked. Neji's house-mates sounded insane but fairly amusing.

"Sakura, get away from that door. I swear I will shave your head if you don't sit down!" he heard Neji yell.

"You're forgetting I know how much you love your own hair. You'd better learn to sleep with one eye open then, prettyboy." Shikamaru's smirk grew wider as he heard Neji's nickname. It really was too appropriate. Finally, the door opened and Neji slipped out, closing it again. He quickly pulled Shikamaru's head lower and kissed him deeply, quickly gaining an enthusiastic response. Then he was pushed away though and getting a punch on his arm.

"Anything you'd like to tell me, mister celebrity?"

Shikamaru shook his head, his ponytail swaying with the movement. "That's about it."

"You're so annoying!" Neji groaned exasperatedly before opening the door and dragging him inside. Four pairs of eyes stared back at them.

"It's really him!" a pink-haired girl finally said. She stepped closer and bowed slightly. "I'm Sakura and this is my boyfriend Sasuke." She pointed at a guy about his age with spiky black hair and a tiny frown. He only gave Shikamaru a nod and Shikamaru lifted his hand in response. Next to him sat a man he suspected to be Sasuke's brother since they were so alike, only that he stood up and walked up to him.

"I'm Itachi. We talked on the phone. And that is my boyfriend Kisame." He pointed to a bulky man with deep blue hair and beady eyes.

"Nice to meet you all."

"Not as nice as it was to meet Neji, I'm sure," Sasuke spoke with a smirk. Shikamaru snorted a laugh.

"Die, Sasuke," Neji said icily.

"Hey! Don't threaten Sasuke!" Sakura butted in.

"We have a guest," Itachi sing-songed, making them all shut up, peering over at Shikamaru to gauge his reaction. He just shrugged and stared right back.

"Dinner should be about done. Itachi has been cooking all afternoon," Sasuke jabbed, looking at his brother who only gave him a cold glare.

"If I didn't cook, you would be starved, otouto. Kisame, remind me to go buy some rat poison again."

Sasuke's eyes grew horrified. "You swore you wouldn't put that into my food again." They all moved to the dining-area, the two brothers still arguing.

Shikamaru turned to Neji. "He really put rat poison in his brother's food?"

Neji laughed as he remembered it. "It was so hilarious. Sasuke only got really sick but he was so weak Itachi dressed him up in a bunny-seat and took pictures of it." He grabbed Shikamaru's hand and led him towards the kitchen.

"And what had he done?"

"Called Itachi the perfect house-wife. Just a bit of advice, never make Itachi your enemy. You wouldn't believe the stunts he pulled with other people." Shikamaru didn't doubt a word, especially after hearing he had poisoned his younger brother.  
Shikamaru and Neji sat down and filled their plate with a wide assortment of food.

"So, Shikamaru. What are your intentions with our cute Neji-chan?" Itachi asked lightly.

Shikamaru quirked an eyebrow and took a sip from his wine. "That depends entirely on Neji and whether or not he's willing to deal with the paparazzi and with me too of course."

"Neji did cry after that first day of being faced with the paparazzi." Neji gasped, throwing a vicious glare at Sasuke, who only cocked his head smirking.

"I did no such thing!"

"Yes, you did." A knife flew through the room and lodged itself in the small stretch of wood visible on Sasuke's chair. Sasuke looked from the knife to a triumphant Neji and shook his head.

"You might have noticed Neji has a slight anger-issue," he said to Shikamaru, pulling out the knife and calmly slicing his food with it.

Shikamaru, who had kept silent up until then, now burst out in laughter. Neji and his room-mates were completely and hilariously insane but most importantly, none of them acted like a star struck fan. He did sober up as he saw the confused glances he received and then it hit him that they considered their behaviour to be perfectly normal. Oh, he would have fun here.

* * *

Shikamaru looked around the bedroom and he quite liked it. It was dressed in warm colours with a large bed and a desk, two doors probably leading to a bathroom and a closet. He wanted to turn around but was pounced and he fell on the bed, Neji grinning down at him.

"Do you have to be somewhere tonight?" Shikamaru shook his head, liking where this was going.

"Do you perhaps…want to stay?" He noticed Neji had a slight falter in his speech and a blush on his cheeks – actually, that blush had been there all evening already – as he asked this.

"Why are you acting so shy?"  
Neji bit his lip in doubt. "Because I've never had a relationship before. This is a relationship, right? I mean, if you want to of course. You don't have to do anything-" His mouth was caught in a kiss and his brain shut down. He hated that he was acting so insecure but he honestly couldn't help it since he was hesitating on how to progress with this whole crazy situation. He liked Shikamaru, wanted a relationship with him even and that was a first in his life. But a relationship was still uncharted territory.

"I want a relationship with you, judging by tonight, we're in a relationship and god yes, I want to stay here." Neji got a pleased smile on his face. A flash of light broke the romantic moment and they looked out of the window and saw a photographer actually standing on the balcony of the penthouse across the street. Neji's mouth fell open but then he growled. Another set of embarrassing pictures ending in a magazine. He stormed off the bed and walked to the window, closing the thick curtains of the three large windows.

"I hope you'll be able to get used to this eventually," Shikamaru sighed. Neji checked the windows, making sure they were properly closed and turned back to the bed. The thought popped up that this was the first time that he had someone he had sex with in his own bed.

"Is your band really that famous?" he asked as he settled himself on the bed next to Shikamaru. The man held up his pack of cigarettes in question and Neji rummaged in his night table for something that could pass as an ashtray.

"Sadly enough, yes. I can make a living out of something I enjoy doing but there are many disadvantages. And what about you? Are you really that loaded?" Shikamaru asked, smirking around the burning cigarette clenched between his teeth.

"Well, when I graduate I will become the CEO of my family's company so then, I'll be loaded. Now, I'm living of a trust fund." He had no problem easily admitting that he was well taken care off by his family, something other people had often tried to use against him but if his grades were less than perfect, he could forget about his monthly allowance. Nothing ever came for free.

Shikamaru stroked his hand through Neji's long hair and saw pearlescent eyes closing at the soothing feeling. Even if Neji lashed out often, he was just like a kitten when relaxed. A mental image of Neji with cat ears appeared and he carefully stored it in his memory, saving it for future purposes.

Neji crawled on top of him and plucked the cigarette from his mouth, putting it out in the dish and kissed him, holding his head between his hands to deepen it. Shikamaru pushed their lower bodies together and grinned as Neji released his grip, moaning with eyes clenched shut. They both fumbled out of their clothes and Neji leaned to the side to search for the tube of lube he knew he had in the cupboard. He fell down on the bed and turned his body so he was laying on his back as his growing erection was encased in a wet mouth, the lube momentarily forgotten. A whine left him as Shikamaru moved up his body until they were facing each other and glared as the other smirked at him with his hand stretched out to look for the lube himself.

"Found it," Shikamaru idly commented.

Neji quirked an eyebrow. "Do you expect me to do a happy-dance or something?"

Lips settled against his ear and he shuddered a bit as a breath of air hit the sensitive skin. "You dancing on my cock will do just fine." He slapped Shikamaru on the side of his head while wrapping his legs around his waist.

"You're such a pervert."

"Never claimed I wasn't." In a fluid motion, Neji rolled them around so he was on top again and turned so he could easily give attention to Shikamaru's semi-hard erection and have his own be trapped in a hot mouth again. Relaxing his throat, he took in Shikamaru's cock to the hilt and heard muffled moans. As a precaution, he held tanned hips so he wouldn't choke as he repeated the motion several times but found it harder and harder to focus as Shikamaru grazed his teeth over his own sensitive cock. He swirled his tongue over the head in a fast pace and knew Shikamaru was close to orgasm. Bobbing his head up and down, he felt jets of semen landing on his tongue and swallowed as much as he could, cringing at the faintly bitter taste.

Suddenly, he was lifted and slammed down on the bed but before he could voice his protest, Shikamaru swallowed his straining erection and he felt a lubed finger against his anus. Shoving his body towards him, the finger entered him and he groaned as it flexed and rubbed his prostate. Soon, a second joined the other and he enthusiastically moved his hips. By the third, he was slightly sweating and craving to be fucked within an inch of his life. He leaned on his elbows and glared at Shikamaru. "Fuck me. Now!" he barked out.

Shikamaru looked at him, humour sparkling in his eyes but lathered his cock with some lube before swiftly entering and burying himself to the hilt. "Better?"

Neji clenched his jaws, trying to deal with the pain but refused to admit defeat. "Much," he hissed. Luckily, Shikamaru did let him stretch and the pain wilted away. Wrapping his legs around his waist again, he turned them over so he was, yet again on top but this time he intended to stay there. Positioning his hands on Shikamaru's chest, he lifted himself before sinking back down again and scoffed as Shikamaru calmly bent his arms and supported his head on them, clearly planning to just lay back and reap the benefits of having Neji do all the work. He leaned down and harshly kissed him, trying to coax him to move his hips and was pleasantly surprised when Shikamaru moved fast and grabbed his hips, slamming his own upwards. The high-pitched shriek that left him was really quite embarrassing but there would be another time to worry about that.

His erection was already dripping with pre-cum but he feared that if he wrapped a hand around it, he would topple over since the pace was so fast. Setting his arms straighter, he gasped as his prostate was ruthlessly stimulated and moved his hips as much as he could to keep up. In his mind he was cursing Shikamaru to hell for once again taking control even though he was on top but his body was melting in every touch and moved along in the motions Shikamaru had set. He already felt his body tensing up and his head fell back as his orgasm washed over him, wetness landing on both their chests. Shikamaru released his grasp and he quickly used it to his advantage, slamming his body downwards to give him a mind-blowing orgasm, just like one he had experienced.

Shikamaru moaned, a low rumble in his throat as he looked at Neji, the blush on his cheeks and simply enough being sex-incarnate at that moment – not that he didn't look incredibly attractive with clothes on. His long hair was swaying with his movements and his pale and slender body was trembling from the after-effects of his orgasm. His eyes fell closed as he reached his climax and spilled his cum inside Neji. He could vaguely feel Neji's hands slipping from his sweaty chest and another body crashing on top of him as his conscious drew a blank.

"That was good," he heard being whispered.

"Yeah," he breathed.

They suddenly heard a round of applause from just behind the door and catcalls. Neji buried his head in a pillow and stomped his feet against the mattress in a little tantrum. Did they have to embarrass him every time!?

"Oi, shut up," he heard Shikamaru yell and indeed, the noise outside died down and they heard footsteps disappearing. He looked up at him and saw him shrugging. "Figured they could handle it."  
Neji snorted in laughter and lifted the covers before crawling under, dragging Shikamaru with him. "Think you can handle them?"

"I know I can." Shikamaru's confidence was admirable and he feared he would need it if they continued this… thing they had. His own confidence had quickly been brought down a few notches after being faced with the wrath of the Uchiha brothers. "Night."

"_Good_night," Neji scoffed. Was it really that heard to pronounce on extra syllable? During sex, he didn't seem to mind speaking up.

"You're troublesome," Shikamaru yawned.

"And you're lazy." Regardless, he crawled closer to Shikamaru and buried his head in the man's neck.

"Goodnight." Neji had to smile as he heard it. _Neji 1 – Shikamaru 0._

* * *

He came out of the bedroom, squeezing the excess water out of his hair and noticed Shikamaru was awake. He gave him a small smile and walked over.

"Ohayo." He planted a kiss on Shikamaru's lips and wanted to go grab some clothes but arms held him firmly.

"Do you have anything to do today?" Neji shook his head. "Want to come to the studio with me for a while and afterwards we'll go out for dinner."

Neji's mouth fell open. "Oh Kami, I'm seriously in a relationship!"

Shikamaru snickered, not in the least perturbed by Neji's bizarre response. If he may say so himself, he was a very easy person to be in a relationship with since he himself was so lazy that he never expected much from his partner. He would get Neji used to the idea of a relationship before long because after having had his first taste of this delectable person, he wasn't planning on letting Neji go anytime soon. "That a yes?"

Neji snapped out of his daze. "Yes. Now let me get dressed."

"No." Shikamaru pulled Neji back under the blankets and before long had him riding his cock, writhing and moaning on top of him. He seriously wasn't difficult to coerce into having sex.

* * *

Two hours later, a freshly-showered Neji and Shikamaru stepped out of the bathroom and Neji pulled open his closet. "I doubt my clothes will fit you. I'll go raid Itachi's closet." While Shikamaru wasn't exceptionally larger, a few centimetres could still make the difference. He picked out a semi-tight dark jeans, a long-sleeved white shirt and another black loose woollen sweater. He had piles of those because they were just so comfortable and he could get away with wearing them. Quickly dressing himself, he motioned Shikamaru to wait and walked to Itachi's bedroom. He knew they were all alone in the house and so just waltzed right in. He grinned as he pulled open Itachi's closet. The man had so many clothes that he had needed to expand his closet space. Skimming through, he mulled over possible combinations when he was pulled against a hard body he recognized as Shikamaru's.

"Anything in here you like?"

"It's practically a store," Shikamaru snorted. He looked around and pulled out comfortable-looking ripped jeans and a white long-sleeve. He put them on and they walked out of the closet. "You ready to go?" Neji held up his index-finger and walked back to his bedroom, grabbing his wallet and cell phone and hastily tying his scarf around his neck. He took a second to collect himself, preparing for what was to come. It felt good to know his own family and those he considered family were supporting a relationship with him and Shikamaru. And he really liked Shikamaru… He shook his head, berating himself for sounding like a love-sick teenager.

Shikamaru grabbed his hand as they were in the elevator. "You sure about this?"

Neji smiled shakily. "Yeah, it'll be fine."

"You want to walk outside separately?"

"No!" The answer came so quick Neji slapped a hand in front of his mouth. Shikamaru pried the hand away and kissed him.

"It doesn't hurt your pride to want support from others, 'kay? It's logical you don't want to face those bloodhounds alone since you're not used to them and they are annoyingly persistent. But thank you for giving this a chance, even though you clearly hate the paparazzi." Neji frowned. Shikamaru really did pick up on things easily. But maybe he was right. It made sense in his head, at least.

The doors slid open and they walked out, already hearing the excited shouts at catching them together, holding each other's hand. Shikamaru tightened his grip on Neji's hand as he wormed them through the mass of reporters and opened the car, Neji hurrying to get in on the other side. Shikamaru didn't even give a warning as he nearly stormed out of his parking space.

"Is it normal that they are following us so persistently?" Neji asked as he peered in the rear-view mirror, seeing the photographers making some very dangerous manoeuvres.

Shikamaru stopped at the red light and retied his ponytail. "As long as they only drive themselves off the road, I don't give a fuck what they do." He looked at Neji and gave him a small smile. "Just learn to ignore them."  
Neji huffed. Easier said than done.

[-]

"Shika, is that you? We need to talk about that bass-line. I don't know…" A guy with messy brown hair and a dog by his side entered the entrance of the studio to find indeed his band mate but with him quite an unexpected guest. "No fucking way! Naruto, get over here! Shika brought his boyfriend!" Neji slowly went to stand behind Shikamaru, his eyes fixated on the passageway. A loud and rumbling noise came closer and closer before an orange blur attached itself to Shikamaru and nearly knocked him on the ground. As the blur stood up, Naruto saw another mess of blond hair – what was it with musicians and their untidy hair? – and a big shit-eating grin.

"Shikamaru, tell it straight. Are you and Neji together?"

"No, he's my shōgi-partner." Neji bit his lip to suppress a burst of laughter as he saw the blond looking confused for a ridiculously long time before pointing a finger at them in accusation.

"Y-you…"

Shikamaru sighed. "Yes, Naruto?"

"Um… I forgot. Anyways," Naruto bounced. "What's going on?"

"Neji, this is Kiba, our guitarist and Naruto, our singer. Where's Chōji?" Naruto and Kiba looked at each other in shock before turning their shocked gazes at Neji.

"You don't know Kagemane?" Neji shook his head nonchalantly. "And you're now dating the engine behind Kagemane."

"Apparently."

Kiba clacked his tongue. "Shika, how can you be with someone that doesn't even know our band?"

Shikamaru took Neji's hand and led him further in, the others quickly following. "You do realize that you're biased since you're in the band? Not everyone knows us and I seriously don't see the problem with dating someone that didn't recognize me."

Naruto let out a laugh. "For someone that doesn't like to be in the public's eye, you certainly do your best to promote Kagemane as much as you can."

Shikamaru stopped abruptly and Neji bumped into him, staggering a bit. An arm was wrapped around his waist to steady him and stayed there. "I like Kagemane, I'll do anything for the band but I hate all the other things involved. That's why we have two such attention-whores like you and Kiba to divert the attention away from me. If you want anything changed before I do the final mixing, write it down. I'm leaving in five minutes so you'd better hurry." Neji grinned as he saw Shikamaru's business-side and decided that he liked it. Straight to the point and driving a hard bargain.

He was dragged down another hallway and they entered the actual studio and Neji raised his eyebrow as he saw the excessive amount of buttons and levers. Shikamaru sat down on the office-chair and quickly did what he needed to and Neji turned his gaze around the room, noticing the many pictures on the walls. Stepping closer, he realised they were all magazine-clippings featuring Kagemane. One in particular caught his attention since it contained a picture of Shikamaru on stage, his bare chest covered in sweat and eyes closed in concentration, a pleased smirk on his lips. He unconsciously bit his lip, wishing they were still in his bedroom.

Shikamaru shut the laptop, having gathered everything he needed to finish the album in his home-studio and turned in the chair. Neji was entranced with one of the articles on the wall and he took this time to let his eyes roam over that gorgeous body, taking in every minute detail. Even if it turned out that they weren't compatible or that Neji couldn't deal with the press, he would still forever be glad for having this time with him. He did honestly like him since he posed a challenge and wasn't just a meek sheep. Sliding his arms around a narrow waist, he pulled Neji flush against his chest and kissed him in the neck.

"Is it really a problem that I don't know your band?" Neji asked softly, although there was not a hint of insecurity. His pride just didn't allow it.

Shikamaru snorted in laughter. "I'm willing to go to a temple and give an offering to each god there is for meeting someone who doesn't know Kagemane. It's too troublesome to have sex with someone who is willing to spill every detail to the media. Do you have classes tomorrow?"

Neji shook his head, slightly relieved that it really wasn't a problem, although his band mates seemed to think otherwise. But why should he care about them? It's Shikamaru he's having sex with, not them.

"Want to spend the night at my place?"

Neji shrugged. "Sure."

The arms around his waist were released and a hand grabbed his. "Then we have to leave right now if we want to get to Suna before dinner-time."

"Wait, what!? Suna?"

[-]

"You sure about this?" Shikamaru asked as he looked at his boyfriend sitting next to them in the limousine. He unconsciously licked his lips as his eyes roved over that perfect body. Long legs were wrapped in a tight-fitting dark grey pair of jeans and he had on a white V-necked shirt on top and a simple black cardigan, both leaving very little to the imagination, his hair unbound and swaying with every swerve of the car. "C'me here," he said and Neji smirked at him, straddling Shikamaru's legs.

Honestly, every cell in Neji's body was screaming at him not to go through with this but how could he escape when Itachi was blackmailing him into this? He had been thirteen and had never drunk alcohol before. Not his fault he discovered his sexuality at that moment. But he didn't want to imagine Sakura's reaction as she saw the pictures of him and Sasuke nearly naked and their bodies in very close proximity. He just had to hold on a few hours and then he had another year to mentally prepare him for this understated purgatory, this recently-added – only in Neji's mind of course – eight circle of hell.

Neji stroked some loose hairs in Shikamaru's ponytail back and checked the rest of his appearance. Biting his lip, he could barely prevent yelling to the driver to turn around and get them home to lock themselves up in the bedroom for a few days. Or weeks. Shikamaru had on a blue pair of jeans, the many cuts in it giving peeks of sun-tanned legs and tucked into loosely-tied combats, his chest only covered by a white long-sleeved shirt, his favourite outfit but it still managed to turn him on every time he saw Shikamaru in it. Neji slid his hands under it and brought their mouths together. The kiss rapidly turned more heated and Neji cursed all the gods since they didn't have any time to do anything more.

"Almost there, Nej. If you get sick of it, just walk through to the entrance." Neji gave him one last kiss before sliding off his lap, quickly raking his fingers through his hair.  
The car stopped and their door was opened for them. Immediately, people started yelling Shikamaru's name but the man calmly walked out, waiting for Neji to stand beside him. Neji set his leather boots on the ground and cursed Itachi once again. He felt an arm being wrapped loosely around his arm and they stepped onto the red carpet. First there was the area of the photographers to go through and then that of the fans. Neji didn't know which one he hated the most.

As Shikamaru talked to the reporters, he stared at his surroundings, leaning into the touch around his arm. Damn Itachi and his wicked ways… Now he was stuck here at the TVfM Awards Ceremony.  
"So, Neji-kun, how are Shikamaru's bedroom-qualities?" Neji looked up startled at the question and he glanced at Shikamaru, wondering what he should do. Shikamaru shrugged.

"I wouldn't be standing here if they were horrendous, now would I?" He heard Shikamaru snort in laughter. The reporter snickered at Neji's sarcasm.

"So no complaints in that area?"

"Should we make a sex-tape and put it on the internet? Then you can be the judge." Neji rolled his eyes at Shikamaru who was trying to not burst out in laughter, hiding his head in Neji's hair.

"What about the rumours that you two are going to get married?"

Shikamaru lifted his arm so it was laying across Neji's neck. "Meh, troublesome." The fan-section apparently heard because they all cheered as they noticed him being his typical self.

"So no marriage coming up soon?" the reporter insisted. She reminded Neji of a bulldog; she just wouldn't let go. He really didn't like her.

Neji scoffed. "He's too lazy to get on his knee." He did frown as he thought of the past night and how Shikamaru had been more than wiling in fact to get on his knees.

"But you'd look so pretty in a dress," Shikamaru whispered. Neji fixed him with a glare but Shikamaru only kissed him lightly. He really needed to work on his death-glares. Nobody seemed even the least bit deterred by them lately.

"Any special reason why you decided to come with Shikamaru to the awards-ceremony? It's the first time you've accompanied him to such a thing even though you've been dating for more than a year."

Neji's face turned sour as he thought of Itachi dangling those (copied) pictures in front of him. He still needed to search for the negatives. "I was blackmailed into it."  
Shikamaru looked at him questioningly but he waved him off. "I'll explain when we get inside."

One of the executives ushered them further towards the fan-section and they all screamed as Shikamaru neared, holding out posters and pens. Shikamaru quickly scribbled some autographs, shaking his head as he heard the numerous declarations of never-ending love. He turned back to Neji and wrapped his arm around that slender neck again, holding him close.

"We love you, Shikaneji!" Both froze as they heard their new 'name' before Neji hung his head in defeat. His cell phone went off and he picked up.

"Shikaneji, I can't believe we didn't think of that! Say hi to your better half," Sakura's overly enthusiastic voice sounded.

"Want to go find another apartment?" Neji muttered.

Shikamaru shook his head. "First you're going to tell me about that blackmailing."

Neji sighed deeply. "Just to remind you, me and Sasuke were thirteen and had never drank alcohol before!" Both Shikamaru's eyebrows rose now. This was going to be interesting.

* * *

"I was thinking we go search for an apartment for us," Neji said, his voice nearly drowning in the constant screaming of the audience.

"Sure, I'm practically living with you anyway." Neji smiled satisfied. Although he wouldn't easily admit it, this was one of the reasons he loved Shikamaru so much. Decisions that would need a lot of time for consideration with other couples were always so easily made with him and Shikamaru. He looked at him, seeing him slumped down in his seat, barely following the events around him. Neji leaned over and gave him a kiss. Shikamaru smiled, stretching his arm out and Neji sidled into the warm space.

"And the winners are Kagemane with their album 'Chokehold'!" Shikamaru let his head fall back. Just when he and Neji were sitting comfortable, he had to get up to receive that stupid award. And to think he could have recorded a video-message. Damn record-company for forcing him into this. He and Naruto walked onto the stage – how Kiba and Chōji had managed to get out of this, he still had no idea – and Naruto held the award above his head, grinning like a maniac.

He leaned near the microphone while keeping his eyes trained on Shikamaru. "Let's hope we start recording our next album soon 'cause our brain here suddenly doesn't have a lot of time anymore!" The crowd let out a disappointed gasp. Shikamaru slapped Naruto over the head, successfully making his head thump against the microphone standard and Naruto cried out in surprise and slight pain.

"What!? It's true, isn't it? And let me tell you, when they're together, they can be lou-oud!" Everyone knew who was meant with 'they' and some people started cheering. Shikamaru pushed Naruto to the side, not in the least bit perturbed at the many giggles rising up from the audience.

"Thanks for the award, and if all things go well, you can expect a new album from us by the end of the year." He walked to the backstage-area and was surprised to see Neji there, a flustered and aggravated look on his face.

"Naruto, I'm going to kill you!" Neji screamed as he stormed past him and he quickly grabbed him by the waist, praising himself lucky that his boyfriend was such a lightweight.  
"Let me go, Shika. I'll rip his fucking throat out."

Shikamaru hoisted him over his shoulder, smirking at the many amused glances they got from the other artists in the area. "Naruto is our vocalist, love. We really need his throat."

"I'll tear each fucking limb off one by one. I'll rip his heart out and feed it to his dog." Neji's tirade kept going on until Naruto was out of sight. "Hey, where are we going?"

"I have a backstage-room since I'm performing later on with Swarm." Neji stopped struggling completely, for the moment content with staring at Shikamaru's ass. Really, in this upside-down position, it seemed even more attractive. A door closed and was locked behind him and he was put to his feet. In less than a second, their lips met and they were hurriedly pulling at each other's clothing.

Neji clawed at his torso, sucking viciously on the skin of his neck and Shikamaru leaned his head back, continuing to undress Neji. He cried out softly as the skin on his neck was abused up to the point of pain but let Neji do as he pleased, knowing how much he liked to let the rest of the world know he belonged to him. He was quite possessive really.

As soon as they both were naked, Shikamaru guided him over to the sofa, making him bend over the seating and kneeled behind him, stroking the soft skin of his cheeks before spreading them. Neji toppled over, biting a pillow he found as he felt Shikamaru's tongue licking his anus. Even though it was quite dirty, he always loved it and spread his legs more. Covering his growing erection with his hand, he jerked it a few times but Shikamaru stopped him and swiftly turned him around, taking him into his mouth. He gasped and took off Shikamaru's hair band, burying his hands in the soft locks for support.

A disappointed whine escaped him as his erection was released from the wet mouth but Shikamaru kissed him and he held him close, rubbing their hips together. "Fuck me," he breathed against Shikamaru's lips and felt a grin spreading on the other's face.

"Wait a sec." Neji saw him rummaging in the pockets of his jeans and retrieve a small tube of lubricant and he grinned. He should have known he had planned something like this. He was pushed to the make-up table and faced a large mirror. In the reflection, he saw Shikamaru coming to stand behind him and wrapping arms around his waist.

"Bend your legs," Shikamaru commanded. As he did so, Shikamaru lifted him until he was kneeling on the table and heard a moan as brown eyes took in every detail of his naked body. Smirking cockily, he wrapped a hand around his cock and rocked his hips, eyes fixated on Shikamaru's face. The little show made the arms around his hips tighten and deciding to take it one step further, he grabbed the lubricant and smeared it over four of his fingers before reaching behind him and letting one finger slip in his anus. Shikamaru stumbled backwards to give him room and his breathing was laboured as he saw his boyfriend fucking himself on his fingers and moaning loudly. In an automatism, he started jerking himself off and groaned as he saw Neji placing a hand on the mirror and with his eyes fluttering closed as he surrendered to the undoubtedly sensational sparks of ecstasy.

He knew how lucky he was that Neji put up with the paparazzi to stay with him and seeing him pleasuring himself strengthened this belief. Neji looked like a fucking god. He now had four fingers inside himself and knew he was prepared enough. Forcing them out, he lathered his erection with the cold substance and shuddered before lining it up with Neji's anus and sliding the head in. He forced his eyes to stay open so he could see every expression in the mirror's reflection.

Neji shook his head slightly, trembling as Shikamaru entered him and filled him up more and more. In some bizarre coincidence, he hadn't tired of doing this with him, even after a year and figured they must be suited for each other. It was pointless to analyze since he really liked Shikamaru. Okay, loved him, there you have it! He let out a choked sob as Shikamaru grazed his prostate and laid his free hand on his hips to force him in deeper. Wriggling his own hips, he smiled pleased as he felt Shikamaru being buried in him to the hilt. Shikamaru kissed his neck and he craned his head so their lips met briefly, both needing this moment to wind down a bit and prepare themselves for what was to come.

Shikamaru pulled back until only the head of his cock was inside before sliding back in and stroked Neji's chest, to help deal with the slight pain but as was usual, Neji was far too impatient and moved his hips, moaning loudly as his prostate was hit lightly. Deciding to cooperate a bit more, Shikamaru held Neji's hips firmly before thrusting at an increased speed. He let his head fall back as his erection was irregularly squeezed and both their movements became more hurried as they reached for that satisfaction only an orgasm could give.

Neji rested his forehead against the cold surface of the mirror in an attempt to cool down a bit as he flexed his hips as much as his position let him. The pace slowed down a bit and he felt every ridge on Shikamaru's erection as it passed his muscle and groaned. He shuffled more to the edge of the table so he could lean forward more and his hands clenched into fists as his prostate received attention.

Shikamaru moved faster again and Neji slammed his hips back, the sound of their skin slapping against each other filling the room. Their breaths came out shorter and shorter and Neji curved his back as his orgasm hit him, his ass tightening to keep in Shikamaru as long as possible.  
Shikamaru ruthlessly thrust in a few more times until he was pulled into a climax and groaned loudly, his grip on Neji's hips hard enough to leave bruises. The next moment, Neji fell against his chest and he wrapped his arms around him, holding him close and winding down a bit.

"Aishiteru, Nej."

He could see a lazy smirk forming on Neji's lips in their reflection. "I know." Shaking his head, he laughed. Only once had Neji confessed to him that he loved him and that was after keeping him tied to his bed for four hours and denying him an orgasm for the entire time. While it hadn't been his intention to wring the words out of him, he did consider it a nice side-effect. But even if he didn't say it, he knew Neji did love him and that was enough for him.

"Shikamaru, are you in here? You have to be on the stage in thirty seconds, man!" Naruto's voice broke the tranquil moment as he banged on the door for further emphasis.

Shikamaru gently pulled out of Neji but then rubbed his softened penis clean with his shirt and flew into his pants, quickly pulling his boots on. He decided that there was no time to look for another shirt since Neji's wouldn't fit comfortably on him. Fuck it. He pressed a kiss on Neji's lips, and was almost tempted to stay here but Naruto kept slamming his hands against the door. "Meet you back here."

He unlocked the door and slipped out, making sure no one would see his boyfriend naked. Naruto's eyes grew as he looked at Shikamaru's bare chest. "Run, you lazy bastard!"

He just made it into the backstage, just as he retied his hair and Swarm was announced. He cursed himself for accepting their proposition to play guest-drums. Now he had to leave an aroused and naked Neji behind. He walked up on the stage and the whole room burst out in cheering. Everything considered, he knew it was because of his bare chest. How a little bit of skin could wreak havoc on a woman's sanity, he would never understand. Neji showing a little bit of skin, now that was a whole other matter.

Taking his place behind the drum-set, he waited for the cue before starting to play in sync with the rest of the band. Luckily, it was just one song and only five minutes later, he found himself in the backstage-area again. The members of Swarm came towards him, all grinning madly.

"Your boyfriend really did a number on you. No wonder you were almost late," Zaku, the singer laughed. Shikamaru looked at him, his confusion clear. Zaku motioned him to turn around and as he did so, he was facing a mirror and could now see the nail-scratches and hickeys Neji had littered over his skin.

"Troublesome," Shikamaru sighed. "Later." He went back to his dressing-room and a clothed Neji let him in, closing the door behind them again. Neji yawned, not even bothering to cover his mouth. Shikamaru smiled at seeing Neji in his slightly rumpled state with a sated look on his face. If there ever was such a thing as a happy sex-kitten, he imagined it would look like Neji as he was now.

"Can we go home?" Shikamaru nodded, retying his hair and wiping the sweat off with the already dirty shirt. He hung it in his back pocket and took Neji's hand, leading him through the maze of hallways before they reached the front entrance. The reporters were yelling questions but they both ignored them, just wanting to go home, take a bath and go to sleep. They settled themselves in the backseat of the limousine and fell asleep, their bodies entangled.

[-]

"Shikaneji, rise and shine!" Someone was yelling but it felt like he had barely slept for five minutes. He swatted his hand, hoping to make the noise go away but it never reached its target. The voice just kept on blabbering and Shikamaru blearily opened his eyes.

"Oh, you two look so adorable," Sakura squealed. Shikamaru turned his head and found Neji rolled up in a ball against his side, still soundly sleeping.

"What?" Shikamaru yawned. A magazine was shoved in his face and he took it from her, trying to discern the pictures from the letters.

"You were the hottest couple at the TVfM Awards! I think it's mainly because you walked on stage with all those love bites but isn't it cute?" Now Shikamaru saw a picture of him walking on stage bare-chested and indeed, with the many love bites and then one of him and Neji as they were leaving. He had to admit that Neji did look sexy in that dishevelled state. Perhaps he needed to make some calls to get that picture in high quality.

"That's great. Now lemme sleep." He rolled over, curled around Neji and was satisfied at hearing Sakura leaving the room.

"Hottest couple, huh? Not too shabby," a quiet voice sounded.

"Tomorrow we're going to look for an apartment and sleep for three days straight. It's the same damn thing here every morning."

"Hai," Neji mumbled, already falling asleep again. Shikamaru wrapped an arm around him and kissed the back of his head. "You really did look sexy with your shirt off."

Shikamaru snorted a laugh. "Troublesome."


End file.
